Pregnant Teacher Punched by Student Gets Award for PTSD, Penalties

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld an award of benefits and penalties to a school teacher for her psychological injury after being punched in the stomach by a student while eight months pregnant. Case: School District of Philadelphia v. Smith, No. 1113 C.D. 2022, 08/22/2023, unpublished. Facts: Shahyra Smith worked for the School District of Philadelphia as a special education teaching assistant. In May 2019, when she was eight months pregnant, a student struck her in the abdomen.  Smith filed a workers’ compensation claim, alleging that she sustained an abdominal...